Parental obesity predisposes to exacerbated metabolic and inflammatory disturbances in childhood obesity within the framework of an altered profile of trace elements

Family history of obesity is known to increase the odds of developing childhood obesity in the offspring, but its influence in underlying molecular complications remains unexplored.

Here, we investigated a population-based cohort comprising children with obesity, with and without parental obesity (PO+, N = 20; PO−, N = 29), and lean healthy children as controls (N = 30), from whom plasma and erythrocyte samples were collected to characterize their multi-elemental profile, inflammatory status, as well as carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms.

We found parental obesity to be associated with unhealthier outcomes in children, as reflected in increased blood insulin levels and reduced insulin sensitivity, unfavorable lipid profile, and pro-inflammatory milieu. This was accompanied by moderate alterations in the content of trace elements, including increased copper-to-zinc ratios and iron deficiency in circulation, as well as metal accumulation within erythrocytes.

Therefore, we hypothesize that family history of obesity could be an important risk factor in modulating the characteristic multi-elemental alterations behind childhood obesity, which in turn could predispose to boost related comorbidities and metabolic complications.